Hunter teachers will walk off the job over pay and working conditions next week.
The NSW Teachers Federation was unanimous in it’s decision to take statewide strike action on Wednesday 4 May, amid a long running stoush with the NSW Government over wage caps.
The union is calling for a pay increase arguing teachers across the state are grappling with skyrocketing workloads caused by staff shortages, warning many are considering leaving the profession all together.
A new poll released on Tuesday has highlighted just how fed up many teachers are, with 90 per cent of the 10,000 surveyed saying they’re not paid enough and 70 per cent considering leaving the profession due to unmanageable workloads.
Federation President Angelo Gavrielatos says the NSW Premier has failed students, their parents and the teaching profession.
“If we don’t pay teachers what they are worth, we won’t get the teachers we need.
“That the Government is pursuing a new Award that seeks to impose a 2.04 per cent salary cap, with no change to the crippling working conditions experienced by the profession for a three-year period, is contemptuous.
“At a time when inflation is running at 3.5 per cent and predicted to grow, this would constitute a cut to teachers’ real income.
“Acting on uncompetitive salaries and unsustainable workloads is the only way to stop more teachers leaving and attract the people into the profession we need to fix the shortages,” he said.
“The profession is now left with no alternative but to act in the interest of our students and our profession, and take industrial action,” Mr Gavrielatos said.
The strike means there will be minimal supervision at schools and parents are advised they may need to keep their children at home.
Image: Teachers striking in December 2021. Source: NSW Teachers Federation